Special Focus: Collective Punishment against the Barghouthi Family

Since 12 December 2018, the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) have imposed a series of unlawful and ongoing collective punishment measures on the Barghouthi family in Kobar, a Palestinian village located north of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. These measures started immediately following the enforced disappearance of Saleh Omar Barghouthi, 29, who was detained by the IOF on Wednesday, 12 December 2018. Since then, the IOF has continued to deny Saleh’s family the right to know the truth, not having provided any proof as to his fate or whereabouts at the time of writing, amounting to enforced disappearance.[1]

Excessive Use of Force in Kobar on 12 December 2018

Within this context, the IOF imposed a series of collective punishment measures on Saleh Barghouthi’s family since 12 December, having accused Saleh of alleged involvement in a shooting attack, which took place near Ofra settlement on Sunday, 9 December 2018, during which seven Israelis were injured.[2] Al-Haq has previously documented Israel’s practice of collective punishment against Palestinian families in situations where an individual is pursued by the Israeli occupying authorities,[3] despite the imposition of collective penalties violating international humanitarian law. In particular, Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) provides: “[c]ollective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation… are prohibited.”

To read Al-Haq's special focus on collective punishment against the Barghouthi family, click here.